Responsibility to be assumed for the failed referendum - President Ivanov in an official visit to the Czech Republic

Thursday, 04 October 2018 12:59

If there is a very low turnout in the referendum, this can mean three things: boycott, indifference or poorly defined question. Which of these three things is valid for Macedonia should be clear to those who organized it, said the President of the Czech Republic, Mr. Milos Zeman, at the joint press conference with the President of the Republic of Macedonia, Dr. Gjorge Ivanov, who is paying a two-day official visit to the Czech Republic.

President Ivanov stressed that we cannot freely interpret the Constitution and the laws, and they clearly state what a successful and what a failed referendum is.

- The fact is that we have a failed referendum. Any other interpretation cannot change the figures that are fixed and known. That is why I called for responsibility. To all those who visited Macedonia, and we had many foreign representatives who visited Macedonia in the past, I pointed out that this would happen. The European Union and NATO cannot be alibi for a bad and harmful agreement. You cannot accept an agreement in which there is a provision that there will be a referendum, without providing a national consensus in the state. You cannot accept a change of the Constitution without providing a two-thirds majority in the Parliament. Therefore, I pointed out that someone should be responsible for this, and we know who that is. With responsibility assumed, it will be easier to continue this process, which is very sensitive, very complex and has been holding Macedonia hostage for 27 years due to the irrational demands of its southern neighbor, the Macedonian President said.

Regarding the NATO and EU membership, President Ivanov stressed that Macedonia is a victim of double standards and that the Agreement with Greece does not contain guarantees that it will be respected by the Greek side and at the same time reminded that Greece does not respect either the Interim Accord or The Hague verdict.

- There are no guarantees in the agreement. The Agreement was negotiated personally by the Prime Minister, without the President of the state. We, as a state leadership in Macedonia, have built a national consensus in the past years. That was the position of the previous presidents. In the Parliament, a declaration was adopted in 2008. We accept a solution, but we have never accepted a change in the Constitution of the Republic of Macedonia for changing the constitutional name, President Ivanov answered a journalist question.

Asked to comment the Agreement with Greece, President Zeman said he did not want to interfere in Macedonia's internal affairs, but called on both sides to resume negotiations. "It can take a long time, but we hope that this dispute will be resolved", Zeman told a press conference.

The two presidents also discussed the possibilities for deepening the cooperation in the field of security, with Ivanov thanking for the support and assistance from the Czech Republic during the migrant and refugee crisis.

- It is in the interest of the Czech Republic. Keep in mind that defending the border is important not only for migrants who pass by. Today, no one denies that among the migrants there are jihadists and foreign soldiers returning to Europe. I support the right of Macedonia to protect its borders. They are not just its borders, but are boundaries of a whole civilized Europe, said the Czech President, Mr. Milos Zeman.

The two presidents discussed the promotion of the economic cooperation between the Republic of Macedonia and the Czech Republic.